Investing in cycle provision would also deliver “a huge saving” to the NHS, says public health minister.

The police are too “stretched” to punish traffic offences, MPs heard
yesterday, prompting calls for local councils to take over and use CCTV to
catch motorists who break the law.

Local government officials told the House of Commons cycling inquiry yesterday
that councils could boost cycle safety if they were given the power to issue
fines to drivers who illegally drive or park in bike lanes or stop in cycle
boxes at traffic lights.

The Government is considering plans to pass these powers to local authorities,
which would mean that offences such as blocking a yellow box, making an
illegal U-turn and driving illegally in a bus lane would also become civil
rather than criminal offences, punishable by fines of up to £130 but not by
penalty points.

A Local Government Association spokesman said: “The police have generally been
quite open in saying they don’t have the resources to enforce [these
offences].” As a result, he described it as the “norm” to see motorists
illegally ignoring the boxes designed for cyclists at busy junctions.

Peter Box, chair of the LGA’s transport board, said: “Infringements of these
traffic laws frustrate responsible motorists, force cyclists into busy
traffic, hold up buses, cause unnecessary congestion, affect local
businesses and increase pollution. Currently very little is done to
discourage these offences.”

Local authorities within London have already been given jurisdiction over
“moving traffic” offences on top of responsibility for parking offences, but
councils in the rest of the UK now want the same powers and would use
publicly signed CCTV cameras to enforce the law on specially targeted
stretches of road.

Mr Box added: “We want these powers so that councils can target notoriously
congested junctions or stretches of road where safety concerns have been
raised. These locations would be publicised and clearly signed, councils
will make the road layout as easy to understand as possible and would
initially send warning letters rather than fines to raise awareness.

“In most instances existing staffed CCTV would be used. Should drivers feel
unfairly penalised there would be a fair and straightforward appeals
process.”

Transport Minister Norman Baker said the Government was reviewing the
proposals. The head of road policing at the Association of Chief Police
Officers was unavailable for comment.

Investment in cycling can deliver “a huge saving” to the NHS, the Public
Health Minister told MPs yesterday. Anna Soubry told the Commons
cycling inquiry that: “I don’t always want things to be driven by
wanting to save money. It’s also about the human cost and saving lives.
But as it happens, there is also a huge saving to the NHS.” She added:
“Investing in good cycling provision is clearly good for public health.”

The Government’s ‘Get Britain Cycling’ inquiry was launched in response to
the Times ‘Cities Fit for Cycling’ campaign and is funded with a £10,000
donation from News International. Follow the campaign online at thetimes.co.uk/cyclesafety